China investment benefits Sudan: official

By Jiang Jie Source:Global Times Published: 2014-4-8 0:38:01

The parliamentary head of the Republic of the Sudan has said that China's investment in his country is not neocolonialism and has called for more cooperation with Beijing on natural resource development.

During a visit to China, Mahdi Ibrahim Mohamed, President of Sudan's National Congress Parliamentary Group (Majority Leader), told the Global Times Friday that he has never seen any colonial tendencies from China and the accusation against China is unfair.

"It is maybe out of jealousy. Some Western countries may feel offended by the Chinese presence in Africa and they keep warning as it is has its own agenda maybe out of a colonialist nature," Mohamed said, stressing that all bilateral agreements between China and Sudan, from pipelines to hospitals, are "fair, friendly and sincere."

He said that China and Sudan should extend cooperation in all fields, especially in strategic minerals and oil and gas development. China's advanced exploration technologies would help the discovery of more strategic minerals of economic value in Sudan.

Mohamed also said that the vast water resources in Sudan, especially the Nile River, should be developed for transportation and trade; and China can play a crucial role in boosting cooperation in this aspect.

Referring to China's mediation efforts in South Sudan, Mohamed showed understanding toward China's attitude and stance.

"It is understandable that China has to make sure its business is safe and intact. We do understand China's efforts to calm the situation in southern Sudan. It is to interfere positively and constructively, to bring a better understanding and dialogue between disputing parties. This is not an inference to dominate, or to force a certain solution, but it is to bring them together to help them overcome difficulties so that they can benefit and China as a partner can benefit too," said Mohamed. 

As a former ambassador to the US, Mohamed said that economic sanctions imposed by the US on Sudan since 1997, as well as the no-fly zone in Darfur that some Western countries have put forward, are efforts to "alienate Sudan."

"This is a unilateral sanction, yet it is forced on European countries and others. This tells that they wanted the whole vast valuable resources of Sudan monopolized by them," said Mohamed.

"If China and Sudan extend in actuality with serious and aggressive programs, I'm sure both countries will benefit tremendously and powers from outside that would like to intervene by force will not find a way to do so," he noted.

Posted in: Diplomatic Channel

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